Dharamsala to host 3 IPL matches in May, tourism industry welcomes decision
Dharamsala will host three IPL matches in May this year. According to the IPL schedule, the first match will be played between Punjab Kings XI and Lucknow Super Giants on May 4. The second match will be played between Punjab Kings XI and Delhi Capitals on May 8, and the third match will be played between Punjab Kings XI and Mumbai Indians on May 11.
The hotel associations of Dharamsala have welcomed the decision to hold IPL matches in the city. Ashwani Bamba, president of Hotel and Restaurant Association of Kangra district, said that the three matches would give a boost to tourism in the region. He added that two of the scheduled matches would be held on Sundays, which would attract tourists on weekends.
Dharamsala international cricket stadium had hosted two IPL matches in May last year. The city, being a tourist destination, attracts many cricket fans during IPL matches. The matches are usually sold out, and hotels in the region are fully booked.
Although successive state governments have talked about promoting sports tourism in Dharamsala, it has remained limited to cricket matches held at the international cricket stadium. Many proposed sports projects in Dharamsala have failed to materialise.
Anurag Thakur, as Union Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs, had proposed building a high-altitude training centre in Dharamsala. However, the project never took off due to the failure to find suitable land in and around Dharamsala.
A Sania Nehwal badminton academy was proposed in the Sakoh area of Dharamsala during the previous BJP government’s tenure. However, the project failed to come up due to disagreements between government officials and Sania Nehwal’s team.
The present government has proposed setting up an ice-skating rink on the land earlier proposed for the Sania Nehwal badminton academy. A shooting academy was also proposed during the previous BJP government’s tenure but failed to materialise.
Besides the international cricket stadium, Dharamsala has a synthetic athletic track managed by the Sports Authority of India. Many Indian athletes visit the city for high-altitude training.
